Safety carton with spring lock

ABSTRACT

The rectangular carton comprises a base or receptacle member slidable within a sleeve member, the receptacle member being longer than the sleeve member by approximately twice the thickness of the walls of the members, and the end walls of the receptacle being slight higher than the side walls. The sleeve member is of one-piece construction and an inner extension of one of its side walls comprises a resiliently yieldable panel extending across the bottom of the sleeve member and having its terminal portion secured to the bottom wall by means of a glue flap. The bowed resilient extension urges the receptacle upwardly when the latter is disposed within the sleeve so that the upward extensions of the end walls of the receptacle project and embrace the top wall of the sleeve and thus prevent removal of the receptacle until an end thereof is depressed against the urging of the bowed resilient spring-lock extension.

Rosenburg, Jr.

[451 Sept, as, 1973 SAFETY CARTON WITH SPRING LOCK Charles W. Rosenburg,Jr., North Tonawanda, NY.

[73] Assignee: F. N. Burt Company, Buffalo, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 212,223

[75] Inventor:

[56] vReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,940,653 6/1960 Miessler229/39 B 877,253 1/1908 Stump 1,758,338

5/1930 Simos 206/DIG. 26

Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross Assistant Examiner-Stephen I. GarbeAtt0meyWatson, Cole et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The rectangular carton comprises a base or receptaclemember slidable within a sleeve member, the receptacle member beinglonger than the sleeve member by approximately twice the thickness ofthe walls of the members, and the end walls of the receptacle beingslight higher than the side walls. The sleeve member is of one-piececonstruction and an inner extension of one of its side walls comprises aresiliently yieldable panel extending across the bottom of the sleevememher and having its terminal portion secured to the bottom wall bymeans of a glue flap. The bowed resilient extension urges the receptacleupwardly when the latter is disposed within the sleeve so that theupward extensions of the end walls of the receptacle project and embracethe top wall of the sleeve and thus prevent removal of the receptacleuntil an end thereof is depressed against the urging of the bowedresilient springlock extension.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SAFETY CARTON WITH SPRING LOCK Thisinvention relates to safety cartons, which when closed offer some degreeof resistance or deterrance to opening, such as cartons designed tocontain pills or other articles or substances dangerous to infants orsmall children.

A general object of the invention is to provide a carton of thisdescription which is comprised of two telescoping members capable ofseparation by relative movement in one direction but which requires apreliminary movement in a transverse direction before the first orseparating movement can be initiated.

In its more specific aspects, the invention contemplates the provisionof a base or receptacle member slidable longitudinally within a sleevemember, which latter member contains a resilient element adapted tocontinuously urge the receptacle member transversely of the sleevemember. The receptacle member has fore-and-aft end walls which are ofslightly greater height than the side walls, whereby when the receptacleis fully inserted within the sleeve member, the end walls projectoutwardly and embrace the ends of the sleeve at one side of theassembly, and retain the two members in interlocked position until oneend portion is depressed against the urging of the resilient element torelease the end wall extension from abutment with the end of the sleeve.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from thefollowing specification when readin connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by wayof example.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the outer sleeve member ofthe carton is formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view ofa blank suggestive of one simple practical formof inner base element of the carton assembly;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the sleeve portion during process of erection;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the completed sleeve;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of both the base and sleeve elements asaligned for insertion one within the other;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the closed carton assembly;

FIG. 7 is a view in longitudinal section taken on line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the parts during opening of the cartonassembly.

The novel carton shown assembled and closed at 10 in FIG. 6 comprises aninner base member or container 12 and the enveloping sleeve member 14.

The blank from which sleeve 14 is made is shown in FIG. 1 and given thereference Numeral 14, while the blank 12' from which the base member isconstructed is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The sleeve blank 14' is of one-piece construction and comprises thewalls or panels identified in sequence from right to left as an outerglue flap 15, a bottom panel 16, side wall panel 17, top wall panel 18,side wall panel 19, spring lock panel 20, and the glue flap 21, forsecuring an end of the spring lock panel to the bottom wall panel. Thevarious panels and flaps are connected by the crease or fold lines 23.

fact that the height of the end wall panels 28 and 29 is approximately3/32 of an inch greater than that of the side wall panels 26 and 27 andthe height of the end panels is just slightly less than the verticalinterior height of the interior of the sleeve 12.

When the base member 12 is erected, the abutting corners of the end andside wall panels may be secured together in any acceptable fashion toform the resulting tray-like receptacle or container suggested in theleft hand positionof the exploded view of FIG. 5.

In rolling up or erecting the sleeve member 14, the spring lock glueflap 21 is glued to an inward margin of the bottom wall panel 16 asclearly shown in FIG. 3. Then the bottom panel 16 is bent up along thecrease line 23 which connects it to the side wall panel 17, and the glueflap l5 adhered to the outer surface of the wall panel 18.

The completed sleeve member 14 is clearly shown in FIG. 4, ready for theinsertion of the base 12. In this view and in FIG. 5 the bowed resilientnature of the spring lock panel 20 is obvious.

Recalling that the end walls 28 and 29 of the base or receptacle memberare somewhat higher than the side walls 26 and 27 by a distancesuggested at X, and that the total height of these end walls is justsufficient to enter the interior of the sleeve 14, it will be readilyseen that in assembling or closing the carton, the base 12 can slideinto the sleeve with the slightly bowed spring. lock panel depresseddownwardly. Then when fully inserted, the spring element 20 will forcethe base member upwardly until the sidewalls practically contact theunderside of the top panel 18 of the sleeve, whereupon the excess upwardedges X of the end panels 28 and 29 spring upwardly and embrace the topwall I8 of the sleeve and act as abutments preventing easy or casualremoval of the base member 12 from the sleeve, as for example as by aninfant or small child.

For an adult or older child to remove the base member, he must depressone of the end walls of the base, for example wall 28 and push on thatsame end of the base, whereupon the spring lock panel 20 will becompressed, the upper. edge X of panel 28 will clear the edge of the toppanel 18, and the base or receptacle 12 can be removed and access had tothe contents thereof. As used in the present application the term glueflap" is understood to mean a narrow panel adapted to be completelycovered with adhesive, whereby. its entire surface may be adhered toanother portion of the structure.

I claimi l. A substantially parollelepiped shapedcarton made of sheetmaterial and comprising a sleeve member and a receptacle member justbarely longer than the sleeve member andadapted to slide to andfrom'closed position within said sleeve member, said receptacle memberhaving fore-and-aft end walls of slightly greater height than its sidewalls, the sleeve member containing a resiliently yieldable elementwithin the lower portion thereof and adapted, when the receptacle isfreely enclosedwithin the sleeve. member, to elevate the receptacle theapproximate distance equal to the difference in height of the end andside walls of the receptacle, whereby the upper edge portions of saidend walls embrace the top wall of the sleeve and act as abutmentspreventing removal of said receptacle from the sleeve until an endportion of the receptacle is depressed against the resilience of saidyieldable element.

2. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said resilient yieldableelement comprises a panel of the same material as the sleeve andreceptacle member.

3. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the sleeve member iscomprised of a one-piece blank and includes top, bottom, and side walls,an extension of the bottom wall comprising a glue flap adhered to theouter surface of one of the side walls, and an inward panel extension ofsaid side wall constitutes said yieldable element.

4. The carton as set forth in claim 3 in which an extension of saidyieldable element is folded downwardly, return-bent, and adhered to aportion of said bottom wall of the sleeve.

5. The carton as set forth in claim 4 in which the material of which thetwo members are formed is cardboard.

6. A one-piece blank for the production of a sleeve member for a cartonof the type described, which comprises in sequence the following panelsconnected by fold lines: a narrow glue flap, a bottom wall panel, a sidewall panel, a top wall panel, a second side wall panel of a widthsubstantially equal to that of said first named side wall panel, aresilient spring-lock panel, and a second glue flap for the securing ofsaid spring lock panel to a portion of said bottom panel.

1. A substantially parollelepiped shaped carton made of sheet material and comprising a sleeve member and a receptacle member just barely longer than the sleeve member and adapted to slide to and from closed position within said sleeve member, said receptacle member having fore-and-aft end walls of slightly greater height than its side walls, the sleeve member containing a resiliently yieldable element within the lower portion thereof and adapted, when the receptacle is freely enclosed within the sleeve member, to elevate the receptacle the approximate distance equal to the difference in height Of the end and side walls of the receptacle, whereby the upper edge portions of said end walls embrace the top wall of the sleeve and act as abutments preventing removal of said receptacle from the sleeve until an end portion of the receptacle is depressed against the resilience of said yieldable element.
 2. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said resilient yieldable element comprises a panel of the same material as the sleeve and receptacle member.
 3. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the sleeve member is comprised of a one-piece blank and includes top, bottom, and side walls, an extension of the bottom wall comprising a glue flap adhered to the outer surface of one of the side walls, and an inward panel extension of said side wall constitutes said yieldable element.
 4. The carton as set forth in claim 3 in which an extension of said yieldable element is folded downwardly, return-bent, and adhered to a portion of said bottom wall of the sleeve.
 5. The carton as set forth in claim 4 in which the material of which the two members are formed is cardboard.
 6. A one-piece blank for the production of a sleeve member for a carton of the type described, which comprises in sequence the following panels connected by fold lines: a narrow glue flap, a bottom wall panel, a side wall panel, a top wall panel, a second side wall panel of a width substantially equal to that of said first named side wall panel, a resilient spring-lock panel, and a second glue flap for the securing of said spring lock panel to a portion of said bottom panel. 